1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to suspension systems for vehicles and, more particularly, to reduced weight axle mounting systems for wheeled vehicles and trailers. In this regard, an important aspect of this disclosure is directed to compact, reduced weight axle mounting assemblies for truck leaf spring suspensions.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Suspension systems for wheeled vehicles and trailers typically include active components which are designed to isolate disturbances encountered by the unsprung portions from the sprung portions. It will be appreciated that reduction in the weight of the unsprung portion (typically the wheels, axle and axle mounting assembly) is a desired design objective for improving the performance and efficiency of a suspension system, as well as increasing the payload capacity of the vehicle associated with the suspension.
Leaf springs in vehicle suspensions are commonly secured in an axle mounting assembly by spaced-apart bolts and U-bolts which, when clamped down on the spring, cause the portion of the spring between the clamping points to be inactive. Typically, bolts and U-bolts are longitudinally spaced apart by at least the width of the axle. Reducing the size of the clamped area is a desired design objective since it increases the length of the active portion of the spring, produces a lower vertical spring rate and permits a more compact, lighter weight axle mounting assembly.
Current axle mounting assemblies which utilize bolts and/or U-bolts often have to deal with the problem of keeping the bolt and nut faces parallel to a clamping surface. Accordingly, another design objective in these clamp assemblies is to lessen and/or eliminate this nut face angularity problem.
These design objectives and other shortcomings of prior art axle mounting assemblies are successfully addressed by the novel axle mounting assemblies disclosed herein.